Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Pedestrian Vehicle Segregation

Brief Summary

HSE found serious risks at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked three high with deformation, poor segregation of pedestrians and vehicles, and an out of date traffic plan that did not reflect the site layout. The employer was prosecuted, pleaded guilty, and received a fine and costs.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit in August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles and loading equipment moving freely around the site. The pedestrian entrance was padlocked and pedestrians had to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles. There were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. The employer had a visual traffic plan but it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date after changes to the site configuration, including access across the yard to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some skips deformed. The stack height was three high in places, increasing the likelihood of collapse or a skip falling. Skips were placed in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, increasing the risk of injury if they fell.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE also noted that prohibition notices had previously been served in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Keep pedestrians and vehicles properly separated. Design and implement clear pedestrian routes and crossing points, especially where vehicles travel freely and reversing or turning is involved.

Treat skip and stockpiling stability as a critical control. Ensure stacking is safe and stable, including controls for height and condition of skips, and avoid placing them where workers regularly pass or travel.

Traffic plans must be visible and current. A traffic plan is not enough if it is not accessible to those using the site and does not reflect the current layout and key pedestrian movements.

Use effective site organisation to prevent serious harm. When organising work areas, assume consequences can be severe for heavy plant and stock, and put in place additional precautions where pedestrians and vehicle movements overlap.

Respond fully to previous enforcement and improvement actions. Where prior enforcement action or notices have already highlighted legal duties, you must correct underlying controls promptly and thoroughly rather than relying on past compliance.

HSE Prosecution Link